Winter Wonderland - Part 9 of A Different View
Title: Winter Wonderland (9/15 of A Different View)
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: 625
Pairing/Characters: Harry, Draco, Narcissa
Challenges: AWDT's prompt of "Christmas Carols," slythindor100's prompt #14 - "Mulled wine," hd_fluff's prompt 33 - song lyrics (Winter Wonderland), harrylovesdraco's "Something to do with Christmas," and my GJ 100_prompts entry #020 - "sunset".
Summary: Harry discovers that the Manor really is a Winter Wonderland.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
To see all parts of A Different View, click here.
Bundled up against the cold, Draco and Harry ventured out onto the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The air was crisp and caught in Harry's chest as he inhaled deeply. It was fresh and clean and smelled of pine and a hint of distant burning wood. The sky was clear and bright, the light from the sun reflecting like thousands of fairies dancing on the many snow-covered surfaces. The sparkling beauty went on as far as the eye could see.
"Wow!" Harry exclaimed. "You weren't kidding."
Draco's face lit up, his eyes sparkling nearly as brightly as the freshly-fallen snow surrounding them. "Wait until you see the gardens," he said, leading the way towards what Harry had thought was a wall, but turned out to be a snow-covered hedgerow, two stories high. As they passed through the opening, Harry gasped.
"These," Draco said, spreading his arms and swinging them round, "are the Malfoy gardens."
Harry looked ahead of him at the fountain which had frozen, a stream of ice seeming to cascade out of the centre into a pond, equally frozen, forming a pattern on its surface more stunning than the finest of crystal. The hedgerow encased the gardens so well that it was as though they had ventured into another place, another world. Everything glittered, everything shone; it took Harry's breath away.
"It's breathtaking," he finally managed to say.
Draco smiled so widely that Harry felt his body flooded with warmth, despite the temperature. At that moment, he realized that the gardens dulled in comparison to the sight before him. And somehow, that didn't scare him at all.
They walked through the various gardens, Draco animatedly describing what was planted in each, and how the blooms would blossom, bringing fragrance and colour with them every spring. "You'll have to come back when everything is alive again," Draco insisted.
Harry nodded, thinking that he had never felt so alive.
"I didn't realize it was getting so late," Draco announced suddenly. Sure enough, the sun was kissing the horizon in the distance.
"Are you cold?" Harry asked. "Did you want to head back?"
"Soon. But if you don't mind, I'd like to stay to see the sunset. It's a truly spectacular sight to behold."
As the sun descended, everything around them turned from white to warm shades of orange and crimson, shadows dancing on every surface as though alive. Harry looked at Draco and saw the colours shimmering over his hair and reflected in his eyes.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful in all my life," Harry said, knowing that he was talking only in part about the setting sun.
As they approached the house, Narcissa greeted them looking stern. "I can't believe the two of you were out so long in this dreadful cold." She reached out to shuffle them both into the waiting warmth. "Follow me into the sitting room. I've had the house elves prepare some mulled wine to help warm you up."
Harry was taken aback by this version of Narcissa Malfoy. Perhaps it was the absence of Lucius that brought out the best in her. He knew she loved her son, and would do anything for him, but Harry supposed that he had never quite envisioned her as a maternal sort. He smiled genuinely at her, deciding that he could quite possibly grow to like this woman.
They entered the sitting room, greeted by the sounds of Christmas Carols playing softly on the wireless, and the scent of the hot, spiced wine. Memories of Voldemort and the events that had transpired here far in the recesses of Harry's mind, with a smile he took the mug that Draco offered him, and sat down to enjoy an evening with the Malfoys.
Part 10 - All in a Look
.
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG
Word Count: 625
Pairing/Characters: Harry, Draco, Narcissa
Challenges: AWDT's prompt of "Christmas Carols," slythindor100's prompt #14 - "Mulled wine," hd_fluff's prompt 33 - song lyrics (Winter Wonderland), harrylovesdraco's "Something to do with Christmas," and my GJ 100_prompts entry #020 - "sunset".
Summary: Harry discovers that the Manor really is a Winter Wonderland.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
To see all parts of A Different View, click here.
Bundled up against the cold, Draco and Harry ventured out onto the grounds of Malfoy Manor. The air was crisp and caught in Harry's chest as he inhaled deeply. It was fresh and clean and smelled of pine and a hint of distant burning wood. The sky was clear and bright, the light from the sun reflecting like thousands of fairies dancing on the many snow-covered surfaces. The sparkling beauty went on as far as the eye could see.
"Wow!" Harry exclaimed. "You weren't kidding."
Draco's face lit up, his eyes sparkling nearly as brightly as the freshly-fallen snow surrounding them. "Wait until you see the gardens," he said, leading the way towards what Harry had thought was a wall, but turned out to be a snow-covered hedgerow, two stories high. As they passed through the opening, Harry gasped.
"These," Draco said, spreading his arms and swinging them round, "are the Malfoy gardens."
Harry looked ahead of him at the fountain which had frozen, a stream of ice seeming to cascade out of the centre into a pond, equally frozen, forming a pattern on its surface more stunning than the finest of crystal. The hedgerow encased the gardens so well that it was as though they had ventured into another place, another world. Everything glittered, everything shone; it took Harry's breath away.
"It's breathtaking," he finally managed to say.
Draco smiled so widely that Harry felt his body flooded with warmth, despite the temperature. At that moment, he realized that the gardens dulled in comparison to the sight before him. And somehow, that didn't scare him at all.
They walked through the various gardens, Draco animatedly describing what was planted in each, and how the blooms would blossom, bringing fragrance and colour with them every spring. "You'll have to come back when everything is alive again," Draco insisted.
Harry nodded, thinking that he had never felt so alive.
"I didn't realize it was getting so late," Draco announced suddenly. Sure enough, the sun was kissing the horizon in the distance.
"Are you cold?" Harry asked. "Did you want to head back?"
"Soon. But if you don't mind, I'd like to stay to see the sunset. It's a truly spectacular sight to behold."
As the sun descended, everything around them turned from white to warm shades of orange and crimson, shadows dancing on every surface as though alive. Harry looked at Draco and saw the colours shimmering over his hair and reflected in his eyes.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful in all my life," Harry said, knowing that he was talking only in part about the setting sun.
As they approached the house, Narcissa greeted them looking stern. "I can't believe the two of you were out so long in this dreadful cold." She reached out to shuffle them both into the waiting warmth. "Follow me into the sitting room. I've had the house elves prepare some mulled wine to help warm you up."
Harry was taken aback by this version of Narcissa Malfoy. Perhaps it was the absence of Lucius that brought out the best in her. He knew she loved her son, and would do anything for him, but Harry supposed that he had never quite envisioned her as a maternal sort. He smiled genuinely at her, deciding that he could quite possibly grow to like this woman.
They entered the sitting room, greeted by the sounds of Christmas Carols playing softly on the wireless, and the scent of the hot, spiced wine. Memories of Voldemort and the events that had transpired here far in the recesses of Harry's mind, with a smile he took the mug that Draco offered him, and sat down to enjoy an evening with the Malfoys.
Part 10 - All in a Look
.